When I introduce myself as a systems designer, a curious question often pops: What's the difference between design thinker and systems designer?
In my experience, design thinking is zooming in. It's all about understanding people's needs and creating solutions that work for them. Systems thinking, on the other hand, is like zooming out. In other words, stepping back to see the big picture.
Design Thinking:
Human-centered approach
Focuses on customer desirability, solution feasibility, and business viability
Iterative process of understanding, ideation, prototyping, and validation
Systems Thinking:
Holistic approach to complex problems
Examines interconnections between parts, dynamics, and paradigms.
Considers structures, relationships, and cultural factors
As a systems designer, I integrate both approaches. I start with a systems perspective to understand the big picture, then zoom in on human aspects. This combination has consistently led to innovative and effective solutions in product design. It's not about choosing one or the other - it's about knowing when to use each lens.
The power lies in leveraging both: using systems thinking to grasp complexity and design thinking to create human-centered solutions within that context.
